I woke up to find my hands cuffed to the wall. I couldn't move an inch. I need to get out of here… my friends are waiting for me.
That's when Javelin entered the prison cell.
"Nice to meet you," he said with a smug grin. "My name is Javelin. I'll be the one torturing you. Be honored—it's rare for me to personally handle this. Try not to die, little exiled royal. Oh, and by the way, your family has heard about you using magic. They'll come to retrieve you in a few days."
I was shocked. "My… family? The ones who exiled me? They're coming back for me? Because I can use magic?!" My head throbbed as I struggled to remember anything from the previous day. "Wait, did you say you're Javelin? The Captain of the Kingdom's Army?"
"Yes, that's what I said. Are you deaf, or just slow?" he mocked. "I hate wasting my time. Let's begin."
Javelin stepped closer, his expression turning dark. "First question: How do you use magic? You're registered as a royal without any magic power, and yet you showed up with A-tier magic. Is this some kind of joke?"
"I already told you," I said through gritted teeth. "I don't remember anything!"
Without warning, Javelin lashed me with a whip. "You don't need to remember it right now. We've got time." He whipped me again and again until my vision blurred and my mind started to fade. Finally, he stopped and leaned in close.
"I'll be back later. You'd better start remembering, because I won't be this gentle next time." With that, he left, leaving me bleeding and chained to the wall.
As the room spun, a voice whispered in my mind:
"Hey, Master. You look awful."
"Who… are you?" I croaked. "How did I get this power? Could you be… the Rabbit of Hell?"
The voice chuckled. "Bingo! That's me. The real question is, how did my mind end up flowing into yours?"
"How should I know?" I shot back. "I injected your blood."
The voice gasped. "You what?! Do you have any idea what you've done? My blood melts iron! Anyone else would've died instantly. But here you are, alive. A miracle, really. Normally, beings like me go to hell and burn out completely after death. But thanks to you, I'm here."
My headache worsened, and I groaned. "Can you shut up? Your voice is making it worse. Just answer one last question: Yesterday, you said I could use your power in exchange for my left eye. Is that true?"
"Of course it's true," the voice replied, almost smugly. "But the real question is, can you control my power? Right now, you're like a newborn when it comes to magic. Your mana reserves are tiny. That fire attack you used yesterday? It was only at 50% power, and it nearly killed you. When your mana grows, you'll see my true form. For now, though, my whispers are all you get."
I began to lose consciousness again, the voice fading with a parting remark.
"Oops, I talked too much again. Old habit of mine. Bye for now, Master."
The next day, Javelin returned, this time holding a glowing magic crystal.
"Hey, royal kid. Do you know what this is?"
I squinted at it. "Not really."
Javelin nodded. "Good. You're not lying. This is a Truth Crystal. A rare treasure. If you lie while this is active, it'll cause you pain equivalent to breaking a couple of ribs. Let's get started."
He began questioning me. "Who started the fight?"
"He hit me first," I answered. "He also threatened to hurt my companion, the healer. So I challenged him to a duel."
Javelin nodded again. "That's true. Next question: How did you gain your power?"
I hesitated. "What do I get in return for telling you?"
Javelin's fist slammed into the wall next to my head, cracking the stone. The entire room seemed to shake.
"I'm the one asking questions here," he growled. "You're lucky your family wants you back in one piece. Any other criminal would've spilled their guts by now. I'm only going easy on you because of them." He leaned in close. "Now, I'll ask one last time: How did you gain magic power when you were supposed to have none?"
Feeling powerless, I finally answered. "I don't know exactly. A voice in my head offered me power. It said it would take my left eye in exchange."
Javelin's expression softened unexpectedly, and to my surprise, he began to laugh. His smile was almost warm. For a moment, I felt like I could forgive him for everything he had done to me.
"Hey, royal kid," he said, his tone lighter. "What's your name again?"
"Lion," I replied. "Lion, sir."
He grinned. "No need to call me 'sir.' I kind of like you. From now on, call me Big Brother."
To my shock, he untied me. "Come on, follow me."
He led me to a small, empty room. It had no windows, just a single door made of nemal, the strongest material I'd only ever seen in my family's training hall.
"This room is soundproof and protected by a magic barrier," Javelin explained. "We can talk freely here. First, let me tell you something: That voice you heard is a demon's soul. I never expected someone like you to control one."
His expression grew serious, and he raised his sword. "No need to lie in here. If you do, your life will end now. So, what was the demon's contract? Did it take your soul?"
I swallowed hard. "No. It… only took my left eye so it could see the world."
Javelin laughed again. "A kind demon, huh? I'm almost jealous." He threw me a sword. "I'll train you. I want to see what you're capable of—and make sure that demon doesn't claim your soul."
The moment I touched the sword, it turned red and was engulfed in black flames. My heart raced as I stared at it in disbelief.
"That's my gift to you," Javelin said. "You'd better appreciate it. We've only got a few days before your family arrives, so let's get started. Try not to die."